Ties that Bind
by Usami
Summary: A collection of stories about Antauri and the people who know him best.
1. Nova

I'm not sure how it happened, but this is just an idea I had one day. I wanted to write a collection of one-shots focusing on Antauri's relationship with the people around him. I had a few of them planned out, and I had a bunch of characters who I hope will be unexpected to read about. Each one also has a quote at the beginning that relates to the situation, because I was really into quotes when I started writing these.

I was going to wait until after I finished writing all the one-shots for each character before I posted any of them, but I'm having trouble with some of them. So I figured I should post the ones I already have and wait and see what happens with the other ones.

This story takes place shortly after "Snowbound". Enjoy!

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_Being out of control is one of the worst feelings in the world, sometimes even worse than pain. It is its own kind of pain. ~Danzae Pace_

Nova groaned softly as her eyes fluttered open, her vision focusing and refocusing. With a tired hand, she rubbed her eyes, attempting to clear her sight while trying to remember what happened and why she felt so drained.

The last thing she could remember was Shuggazoom covered in snow…it was freezing cold…they were fighting that ice monster…it had frozen Chiro, and she was the only one left…And then…

She gasped and suddenly shot up, all the memories flooding back to her. "Chiro!" she exclaimed.

"He's all right, Nova," a gentle voice assured her as she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Everything is all right."

The golden monkey turned to look at the second-in-command. "Antauri…?"

"How are you feeling?" he asked softly.

Placing a hand to her forehead, Nova glanced at her surroundings. ""Fine, I guess," she replied. "Just…tired. Where am I?"

"You're in the medical lab," Antauri answered. "We had recently taken you out of the healing chamber, and have all taken turns looking after you."

"How long have I been out?" she wondered.

"A few days." Gently he ushered her to lie back down. "You still have a while before you recover, so you must get more rest."

Nova sighed shakily and shut her eyes, the whole event replaying in her mind once more. "So I really lost my temper again…didn't I?" Part of her hoped it was all just a terrible dream, and that she had just imagined everything.

But she knew Antauri wouldn't pull any punches just to make her feel better. "Yes…" he said reluctantly, "you did…"

She felt tears fill her eyes, just picturing what she could have done to the city…to the people…to her _friends_. But she quickly blinked them back, refusing to release them. Inhaling deeply, she asked the question she feared the answer to: "How…bad was it?"

The black monkey was silent for a moment, his golden-green eyes studying her. Then he glanced away. "No one was hurt," he offered. "And you managed to rid the city of the snow. You did…overheat things for a while, but there was no serious harm."

She released the breath she didn't know she was holding. "So everyone's okay?" she asked, looking at him hopefully.

Antauri nodded. "Everyone is fine. In the end, _you_ were the only one who sustained any real damage."

"That's fine," she replied. "Better me than anyone else."

He frowned slightly and looked as though he wished to say something more. But instead, he turned away from her again. "I'll have Gibson check on your condition."

She bit her tongue as she watched him go. "I'm sorry, Antauri," she blurted out.

He paused just as he reached the door, turning back to look at her curiously. "What?"

"I'm…I'm sorry," she repeated. "I'm _really_ sorry."

Watching her for a silent moment, he then returned to stand at her bedside. "Why are you apologizing?" he wondered.

"Because…" She sighed, looking away from him. "I'm sorry that I lost my temper again…After all the effort you put in trying to help me control my anger, it's like I just wasted all your time. I guess I'm no better than I was when it happened the _first_ time."

Gently, Antauri placed his hand on top of hers. "You haven't wasted my time, Nova," he said softly. "On the contrary: I believe you've shown great improvement since then."

She turned sharply towards him. "Are you kidding me?" she retorted. "I snapped! I nearly fried the entire city! If I hadn't heard Chiro's voice, I probably never would have stopped!"

The black simian smiled. "But that's the point. You _did_ hear Chiro's voice, and you _did_ stop."

She blinked, sitting up on her elbows. "What?"

"Don't you remember what happened when you first lost your temper?" he prompted.

"Of course I do." She would never let herself forget it. "I destroyed the training room, I damaged the Robot…I was so angry that nothing could get through to me."

Antauri nodded. "_Nothing_ could get through to you. No matter how hard we tried, we couldn't get you to listen to us. And the only reason you stopped then was because you ran out of energy."

Nova's eyes widened as she finally realized what the other meant. "But it was different this time. I actually _heard_ Chiro, and I knew I had to stop myself so that he wouldn't get hurt."

"That's right," the second-in-command said. "Chiro managed to get through your anger…to reach you when you were once unreachable. But what's more, _you_ realized just what was happening, and _you _stopped yourself from going too far."

"I…I did, didn't I?" she breathed. She couldn't contain the relieved laugh that worked its way through her lips. "Wow…I really did. I guess there's still some hope for me, after all."

"You have what it takes to control your anger, Nova. All you needed was some help from those around you."

Looking up at him, she smiled. "You still haven't given up on me, have you?"

Returning the smile, he gently squeezed her hand. "No," he replied. "You know I would never give up on you. None of us would. So you must never give up on yourself."

She nodded, for the moment unable to say anything. His smile deepening, he slowly released her hand. "I'll get Gibson to check over you. Perhaps he can determine how much you have yet to heal."

She watched as he once again began to leave, and she quickly sought to find her voice. "Hey…Antauri?" she called.

Once again the black one stopped at the doorway, turning back to look at her. "Yes, Nova?" he replied.

Sitting up slightly to see him better, she smiled. "Thank you…"

Returning the smile, Antauri simply nodded. Then, without another word, he left the med lab.

Nova watched him go until he was completely out of sight. Then with a soft sigh, she lay back down and closed her eyes, the smile never leaving her lips.

**The End**


	2. Gibson

This is one of the unique stories in this collection, because Gibson's is the only story where he's not interacting with Antauri. I did my best to make this as Gibson-esque as possible, but I think it worked out pretty well.

This takes place somewhere between 'I, Chiro' and 'The Savage Lands'. Enjoy!

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_The deep pain that is felt at the death of every friendly soul arises from the feeling that there is in every individual something which is inexpressible, peculiar to him alone, and is, therefore, absolutely and __**irretrievably**__ lost. ~Arthur Schopenhauer_

Gibson grumbled a little as he tugged at the loose wires, carefully untangling them before reconnecting them to the computer consol. Reaching up, he pressed one of the buttons on the keyboard and looked expectantly at the dark screen. When nothing happened, he sighed and crawled back under the consol.

The previous encounter with Skeleton King certainly left sufficient damage to the Super Robot. Even though some of the basic functions were still in working order, there was too much work to do if they hoped to get the Robot running at full capacity.

Normally the others were around and helping him fix the machinder. However, considering how late it was, they were all probably asleep.

He stifled a yawn, shaking his head before connecting another wire to the consol. He was expecting another sleepless night when he would spend the entire time working. He never meant to stay up so long, and he knew he would probably perform more efficiently if he allowed himself to rest. But whereas working permitted him to stay busy – to distract himself – sleeping would only let him think…and remember…

Remember just why they were fixing the Robot in the first place.

Because it was when Antauri briefly controlled the Super Robot…after he…

Gibson shut his eyes tightly, forcing the memory out of his mind. He would _not _think about that now. There was too much work to do, and he did not want to spend too much time grieving. They all had accepted the fact that Antauri was gone, and they knew that their second-in-command would want them to concentrate on finding Chiro. To do that, they had to fix the damaged machinder as soon as possible. There was simply no time for anything else.

Even so, it was difficult to forget the pain when he could clearly see the black helmet hovering in the black-lined tube.

The scientist sighed, well aware now that he would never focus at this rate. Perhaps a small break would benefit him, and then he could return to work.

He must have been more exhausted than he realized. Though he pulled himself out from under the consol, he still managed to hit his head on it as he sat up.

"Monkey doodle!" he cursed, rubbing the painful spot on his forehead. He must have been especially tired to make a stupid mistake like _that_.

A gentle electric hum caught his attention, and he looked up to see a flicker of light between Antauri and his orb chairs. Curious, he watched as the light grew and flattened at the top, decorated by small blue and pink pieces.

Finally realizing what it was, Gibson sighed and shook his head. "Of all the things to work around here," he mumbled, rising to his feet.

The game of chess was a pastime exclusively shared between him and Antauri. Nova was never really interested in it, Sprx and Otto never really learned how to play, and Chiro still had some trouble figuring out how to strategize his moves. But the blue monkey didn't mind so much that no one else would play against him; chess was one of the ways he and Antauri interacted best. During a game when they tested their minds against each other, they also engaged in deep conversations about whatever topic they so chose.

With a frown, he looked away from the chess table. Just one more thing he would miss…

Reaching out, Gibson prepared to delete the chess game. After all, what good was it now? But he still hesitated, glancing back at the game. When was the last time they had played?

He was reminded of a time about a week ago, shortly before Antauri left for Koroladol. It was one of the rare moments of genuine free time that they had, so the two of them had decided to play a game. They finished a previously saved game (he had won that one, he recalled) and started a new one. Unfortunately, they were called to duty yet again, and they were forced to put the game on hold and save it into the computer's data base for another time.

Of course now it didn't really matter, but Gibson was curious enough to wonder just how far they had gotten in that particular match. Before he could stop himself, he slowly approached the chess table to get a better look.

The blue chess pieces were lit, indicating that the next move belonged to Antauri. Ebony eyes quickly glanced over the game as he attempted to refresh his memory. If he remembered correctly, he had just captured one of Antauri's knights, which was actually the perfect set up for his next move. He recalled feeling rather confident that he would secure another win.

But looking at the board now, Gibson felt tears fill his eyes as he finally realized Antauri's true intentions. The move was both appropriately fitting and eerily symbolic of recent events.

With a trembling hand, he carefully moved the blue rook across the board until it rested in the same row as the pink king. The move successfully trapped the king, but it could only have taken place with the right sacrifice.

"Checkmate," Gibson said with a shaky sigh. "You won, Antauri…"

To defeat the King, the Knight had to be relinquished so that the Rook could finish the job.

It was too uncanny to be a simple coincidence. But…had Antauri known? Even before all the events fell into place, did he realize what eventually had to be done? Did these simple holographic chess pieces foretell what would come to pass? It seemed silly…too illogical. Perhaps he was simply thinking too much about it…but as he stared at the pieces, he couldn't help but question…

"Was it worth it?" he suddenly asked in a harsh whisper. Looking up, he approached the black tube, staring hard at the helmet of his friend. "Was it really worth it, Antauri? Was winning…was succeeding so important that it required such sacrifice?!"

He knew that the black monkey would say so. He knew that Antauri would answer that it _was _worth it, and that it had to be done.

But he also knew that the rest of them, the ones that were left behind, could never be as certain as that. And he knew that, out there somewhere, there was a boy who would say that nothing is _ever_ worth that.

Quickly Gibson turned away from the memorial, but it wasn't enough to stop the tears that slid down his cheeks. Yet he didn't brush them away…he couldn't. His grief could no longer be held down.

Heading back to the computer consol, the blue monkey abruptly shut off the chess game. He did not delete it, however, because he felt that it was unfair that the chess pieces would all return to their rightful places, and yet they could never do the same.

He had played chess with Antauri for years. They both understood that sacrifice was sometimes the only way to win. He _knew _that…but it didn't stop the unexpected feeling of hate he now held for this once favored game. He knew he could never look at chess the same way again.

Because the King was finally defeated, and they had won the match. But their victory could never be celebrated…for the price they paid had been too much.

**The End**


	3. Sprx

This story takes place during the episode 'Ghost in the Machinder'. It takes place before the end of the episode, and it kind of expands a little more on it. Enjoy!

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_Apology is a lovely perfume; it can transform the clumsiest moment into a gracious gift. ~Margaret Lee Runbeck_

Walking into the med lab, Sprx wasn't entirely surprised to see Antauri already up and about. After all, Gibson already said that Antauri would be okay (though he did recommend that the silver monkey should _rest_ a little), and the second-in-command was just as stubborn as the rest of them. Exhaustion wouldn't keep Antauri down.

Still, he did wonder why Antauri was plugged into the computer.

Sprx hesitated for a moment, studying the thoughtful frown on the silver features. The second-in-command stared at the screen, but his mind seemed too far away to see anything on the monitor. One sterling hand hovered just above the keyboard while the other absently rubbed his helmet, fingertips barely brushing against the cord that connected him to the Robot's mainframe.

Slowly the red monkey entered and approached the silver one. "You okay?" he asked softly.

Antauri said nothing at first; blinking a few times to bring focus back to his eyes. Placing both hands on the consol and typing in a quick command, he finally replied, "I will be."

The pilot watched as Antauri entered another series of actions onto the keyboard and raised a curious brow. "What are you doing, anyway?" he wondered.

Sighing, the silver monkey unhooked himself from the computer, allowing the cord to return to his helmet. "When the Probe was trying to assimilate me," he explained, "It was forcing some of Its own programs into the silver monkey's systems."

"Oh…" Biting the tip of his tongue, Sprx looked down at the floor. "So…uh…did you get rid of all those?"

"I managed to delete the more serious ones, though it took a great deal of effort. The ones that remain are minor and can wait until later to deal with."

The red one nodded a little. "Yeah. You should probably get some rest, anyhow. Y'know, after what happened and everything…" Sprx let himself trail off, wondering what the other would say.

The silver face remained unreadable as Antauri asked, "Where are the others?"

Sprx wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed that the other changed the subject. "They're checking the Super Robot for any malfunctions. They're trying to find any reason why it went off course."

The robotic simian nodded and crossed his arms. "I see…"

Tail twitching nervously, the red one rubbed the back of his head as he prepared to get back to the reason for his visit. "Hey, Antauri?"

Cobalt eyes turned towards him, reminding Sprx of their dark emptiness under the Probe's hold. Suppressing a shudder, he struggled to speak the words he wanted to say. "When the Probe was…y'know…when It was trying to…" He waved a hand in the air, trying to gesture his meaning.

Antauri merely nodded, indicating that he understood what Sprx meant to say, and waited for him to continue.

"Ah…well…I was just wondering…" Reluctant ebony eyes gazed up at curious cobalt ones. "Why were you apologizing to us?"

Turning away from the pilot, the silver monkey closed his eyes and seemed to hesitate. "I knew," he began slowly, "what the Probe was planning to do. When It linked Itself to the silver monkey, I could see what was happening…what It wanted to happen. I realized what It was going to do to all of you…but I couldn't do anything to help you."

Sprx released an exaggerated breath. "C'mon, you shouldn't have to apologize for that," he retorted playfully. "I mean, you had your own problems."

He was hoping that he could lighten up Antauri's mood a little, but wasn't surprised when the robotic simian still didn't look at him. Inhaling deeply, he decided to forge on. "You shouldn't have been the one to apologize," he said softly. "At the very least…I should have been the one to say it first."

Blinking his eyes open, Antauri looked back at the red monkey, who kept his eyes focused on the floor. "Sprx…"

With a frustrated sigh, the hot shot turned away from the other. "What I said earlier…about robots not having souls…I didn't mean that…I mean, I forgot that _you_…after Chiro…And then when we were reminded, when the Probe tried to…I…instead of admitting that I was wrong, I just…I said that you…of all people…would even try to…" He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of any more jumbled sentences and looking for the only words he needed to say. "I'm…I'm just sorry, okay?"

Taking a step closer, Antauri placed a gentle hand on Sprx's slumped shoulder. "Sprx," he said in a soft voice, "it's all right. You don't have to apologize."

Hesitantly, the red monkey glanced back at the other. "But what I said…"

"Sometimes, it's hard to admit when you are wrong," the second-in-command said with a small smile. "As long as you're willing to learn from your mistake, and come to accept the truth…Then it's okay to be wrong, once in a while."

Sprx snorted. "Easy for you to say," he quipped. "You're _never_ wrong."

The silver one seemed to grin. "You might be surprised," he responded, his tone holding an almost playful ring to it. "In fact, I was proven wrong quite recently when I was still within the Probe's grasp. I was surprised to receive aid from someone I wasn't expecting."

The pilot glanced at the other with a raised brow. "What? You didn't think I could handle it?"

"It's not that I doubted you could handle it," Antauri rectified. "I just didn't think _you_ would."

Sprx looked down at the floor with a thoughtful frown. "So…I guess we were both wrong about each other this time."

The robotic simian nodded. "A mistake, I'm certain, we will not make again."

Sprx looked at the sterling monkey and noticed the encouraging smile on his features. As he returned it with a smaller smile of his own, his chest suddenly felt much lighter, and he gave a relieved sigh. "Thanks, Antauri."

"I should be thanking you as well, Sprx," Antauri replied, holding his hand out to the other. With a grin, the red monkey grasped the other hand and gave it a tight, friendly squeeze. "Let's find the others and see how they are doing."

"Sure," Sprx replied, following the other out of the med lab. He had a strange feeling, though, that the others would find nothing wrong with the Super Robot. And he knew Antauri would most likely agree.

**The End**


	4. Otto

At first, I didn't really know what to write for Otto. But then I had this weird idea, and it seemed like a very Otto thing to do, so this is how it turned out. This is also one of my favorite ones, just because it's cute.

It takes place sometime after "Incident on Ranger 7". Enjoy!

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_If instead of a gem, or even a flower, we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend,that would be giving as the angels give. ~George MacDonald_

As the automatic door slid open, Otto knocked on the doorframe to announce his presence. "Antauri?" he said. "Got a minute?"

The silver monkey turned, looking at him with curious cobalt eyes. "Certainly, Otto," he replied, beckoning the other to enter. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah!" the mechanic said as he all but bounced into the room. "Everything's great!" He stood a small distance from where the other hovered, so Antauri couldn't see what he held behind his back. Looking up at Antauri, he met the puzzled expression with a wide grin.

Bemused, Antauri frowned as he descended from his meditative pose. "Well, what can I do for you, Otto?" he asked softly.

If possible, the green monkey's smile seemed to grow, and he could hardly contain his excitement. "Nothing," he answered innocently, his hands itching anxiously behind him. "I just got somethin' for ya, that's all."

The second-in-command blinked. "For me?"

Otto nodded vigorously, and from behind his back he pulled out a large black box topped with a white bow. Presenting the box to Antauri, he announced, "Happy Birthday!"

Slowly, the silver monkey took the package from the other, just so he could stare at him. "What…?"

"Happy Birthday!" Otto repeated, bouncing on his feet. Pointing to the box, he added, "It's a birthday present!"

Antauri glanced at the container in his hands, then looked back up at the mechanic, not bothering to hide his completely baffled expression.

The other's reaction didn't deter Otto's enthusiasm. "Y'know how we were comin' back to Shuggazoom, and we saw Krinkle again?"

"Yes…"

"Yeah! So, Chiro and I were talkin' about that, and we started talkin' 'bout how we first met Krinkle. Y'know, on Chiro's birthday?"

Thinking back on that particular event, Antauri nodded.

"Well, Chiro and I were talkin', and we started thinkin' about _our_ birthdays."

The silver monkey frowned thoughtfully. "We don't have birthdays…"

"Right!" Otto replied. "That's what we said too! So we both thought that we _should _have birthdays!"

Despite the questions that filled his mind, Antauri couldn't help the amused smile that formed on his lips. "Is that so?" he asked.

"Uh huh! We couldn't figure out a good day for a while, but then Chiro said that our birthdays could be the day he woke us up again."

Reflecting through his memories, Antauri made a quick calculation. "But, Otto, the anniversary of when Chiro awoke us is still a few months away."

The green monkey scratched his head. "Really? Wow, I didn't think it was comin' up so soon. I better start thinkin' of some good presents for the others."

The second-in-command wasn't sure what to make of the other's answer. "Here," he said, returning the black box, "perhaps you should wait until then to give me this."

Blinking, Otto shook his head and gave the gift back. "Nuh-uh," he said. "I can't give it to you _then_!"

"Why not?" Antauri wondered, perplexed.

"Well…cuz…" The mechanic played with his hands. "_Our _birthdays are comin' up…but _yours_ already passed a while ago."

The silver monkey frowned, placing the package on the floor. "Why is my birthday different from all of yours?"

Otto rubbed his arm, trying to think of the right words to say. "Y'know…" he floundered, "because…you left us for a bit…and then you came back…"

It didn't take Antauri long to understand what Otto was talking about. With wide cobalt eyes, he looked at the green monkey with astonishment. A heavy silence settled over them, but the silver one finally broke it when he asked, "Why…would you choose _that_ day…to celebrate…?"

Surprisingly, Otto looked at him with a gentle smile. "Cuz," he replied, "Chiro told us that birthdays are meant to make the person feel special, and so that they know how happy we are to have them with us. That day…we were so happy when you came back to us! So why not celebrate it?" Then his smile widened into a grin as he added, "So, I guess it's not so much a 'birth' day, but a…'rebirth' day!"

For once, Antauri was at a loss for words. "Otto…I…" He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm the surge of emotions within him. Then, as he opened his eyes again, he smiled. "Thank you."

The mechanic shrugged. "It's just too bad we couldn't celebrate it on _that _day, with the Worm 'n' ev'rythin'. But that's okay, cuz Chiro says we can still celebrate it late. I think he called it a 'be-late' party or somethin'…"

That caught Antauri's attention. "Party?"

"Yeah! We…Oh!" Quickly the green one covered his mouth.

But that couldn't keep Antauri from watching him suspiciously. "What party, Otto?" he asked.

Otto continued to resist for a second, but then sighed and dropped his hands. "Okay, okay," he said. "But you hafta promise not to tell the others I toldja."

"All right…I promise."

"Okay. See, since the whole 'chasing the Skeleton King Worm' thing came up, we couldn't celebrate your 'rebirth' day, right? So Chiro said we should throw a party for you today, and it'd be a surprise cuz it's not on your actual birthday!"

Antauri frowned slightly. "Any day would have been a surprise," he said. "I certainly was never expecting a birthday."

Otto grinned. "Yeah, that's what Chiro said too. But you still hafta act surprised, okay?"

The silver one nodded. "All right." Then he turned and retrieved the black box form the floor. "But if there's to be a party later, shouldn't you wait until then to give this to me?"

Laughing softly, the green one blushed and nervously played with his hands. "Yeah, I guess I could do that…but, uh…"

Antauri blinked. "But what?"

"Well, um…see, this was kinda sudden, and I…didn't really know what to getcha, so…" The mechanic rubbed the back of his head. "I was kinda hopin' you'd open my gift now, so the others don't see what I got ya…"

Antauri regarded him curiously, then looked down at the package in his hands. Carefully he unwrapped the white ribbon, placing it to the side and removing the black lid. As he looked into the box, he couldn't help but stare. Sitting down on the floor, he reached inside and pulled out the black helmet. "This is…"

"Yeah," Otto said, sitting down next to him, "I thought you might want it, but I couldn't find a good time to give it back to ya."

The silver one gently fingered the damaged socket in the back of the helmet before placing it aside and reaching into the box again. He blinked as he pulled out a macaroni figure of the Super Robot.

Otto ducked his head, suddenly finding the floor very interesting. "I, uh…made that when we were on Ranger-7, and…um…I worked really hard on it…But if ya hate it, I can always getcha somethin' else."

Hesitantly he glanced up at Antauri, and he was surprised to see the other smiling. "You did work hard on this," the silver one said softly, looking at him, "and I'm honored that you would give it to me."

Otto grinned. "So do ya like it?"

Antauri nodded, carefully looking over the figure. "It's an amazing likeness."

"I try," Otto replied proudly. Gently taking the macaroni figure, he pointed to the box. "There's still one more thing left!"

Blinking, the second-in-command looked inside the box and found a large metallic replica of their Hyperforce emblem. Carefully he retrieved the item and placed the box aside to study the object better. The two 'eyes' on either side of the lightning bolt appeared to be small handles, and he hesitantly pulled at one. Half the 'face' swung open, prompting him to open the other half and reveal the picture of the Hyperforce posing victoriously underneath. Circling around the picture were the words 'Super Robot Monkey Team Hyper Force Go!' written in white.

"That was taken when we got back to Shuggazoom," Otto explained. "I thought it was cool because Jinmay's in it too!"

Antauri nodded, studying the cherry-haired girl holding Chiro's hand. "It is a very nice picture."

"Yeah. Plus, I made the frame for it. Watch this…" Taking the frame from the silver one, the mechanic pushed both of the emblem's 'ears'. Suddenly a spirited tune began to play from the frame, and each word systematically lit up a different color; in order, the words 'Super Robot Monkey Team Hyper Force Go!' flashed orange, white, red, yellow, green, blue, and pink. As the tune continued to play, the words continued to light.

With a grin, Otto pressed the ears again, and music and lights came to a stop. Looking at the silver monkey, he asked, "So whatcha think?"

Gently taking the frame back, Antauri closed the doors and held the emblem in his hands, staring at it for a moment before looking at the green one. "Thank you, Otto," he said softly. "I…truly appreciate this."

The mechanic smiled. "The gifts aren't much, but I was hopin' you'd like 'em."

"I do," Antauri replied. "More than you know…"

With a happy laugh, the green monkey jumped to his feet. "I guess I better go," he said. "I'm supposed to help set up for the party. I think Gibson's gonna come getcha in an hour or two. And don't forget to act surprised!"

Putting all his gifts back in the box, Antauri replaced the lid and floated into his meditative pose. "I won't," he assured.

Satisfied, Otto nodded and watched as the silver one returned to meditation. With a large grin, he then turned and eagerly skipped out of the room.

**The End**


	5. Chiro

So, I got this idea just after watching 'Night of Fear' and noticing something rather odd (at least in my mind). Since I had to write about it anyway, I decided to make it a cute moment between Antauri and Chiro. Because I can. It's shorter than my other ones, but I think it's fine that way.

Unfortunately, this is the last oneshot I have for this collection thus far. Hopefully I can start writing the other stories for other characters soon, because I do have some good ideas for them. If I can just get them on paper....

Anyway, back to this story. Takes place soon after 'Night of Fear'. Enjoy!

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_He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it. ~Clarence Budington Kelland_

Just as he reached the door, Chiro found himself hesitating. Inhaling deeply, he released it in an uneasy sigh before stepping forward. The automatic door slid open and he slowly entered the room.

He wasn't surprised to see the robotic simian meditating. After everything that happened that evening, he was having trouble sleeping too. Approaching the other, he said softly, "Hey, Antauri?"

He watched the silver monkey turn towards him, and cobalt eyes slowly opened. "Couldn't sleep?" Antauri asked.

Chiro shook his head. "No. I kept thinking about…what happened, y'know? And I was kinda hoping we could talk."

Antauri nodded, motioning for the teen to sit. "What is it you'd like to discuss?"

Sitting on his legs and folding his hands on his lap, Chiro chewed his bottom lip as he tried to word what was on his mind. "Well, I was just kind of wondering something…" He let his voice trail off and glanced at the other expectantly.

But Antauri simply remained silent, prompting the young leader to continue. "Well, when Mandarin showed us what we all feared, I couldn't help but notice…With the others, they could've had their fears for a really long time, ever since _they_ could remember. Even my fear has been around for a while…long enough for it not to matter when it first came up."

He paused, focusing a steadier gaze on the floating simian. "But you're afraid of losing control of your new body, which means you're greatest fear is pretty recent. I mean, you could have only had that fear for as long as you've had that body, which was only a while ago."

Antauri nodded once, turning away slightly from the teen. "That is true," he answered.

Chiro knew he shouldn't ask his next question, but he couldn't stop his curiosity. "Were you ever afraid before…of anything?"

The sterling tail twitched a little, and the simian focused his gaze on the floor. Sensing that the other was suddenly uncomfortable, the teen said, "I mean, if you don't wanna tell me, you don't have to…"

"No, it's all right," Antauri finally replied. "We've all shared our fears this night, so perhaps it's time to bring the rest into light." He closed his eyes for a moment. "To answer your question…I was. That's partially why I have this body in the first place."

Chiro blinked, his head tipped to one side in confusion. "What do you mean?"

The silver monkey seemed to sigh, and he turned away from Chiro completely. "I know…" he began slowly, "that the fight against evil isn't the easiest path in life, especially for one as young as you are. And I'm aware…that I have pressured you to meet these demands that you have been given."

The teen frowned, not entirely sure where the other was going with this. "But you _had_ to," he said. "I agreed to be leader, and I had to take whatever came with it. You were just making sure I could handle it."

"But that doesn't change the kind of burden that was placed on you," the robotic simian continued. "And I feared…that something would happen to you because of it."

Chiro's eyes lit up with understanding. "So that's why you were willing to sacrifice yourself and stop the worm…to save me…"

Antauri nodded. "Because I didn't want that fear to turn to reality."

The teen frowned, idly playing with the sleeves of his pajama shirt. He had gotten the answer to his question, but it only brought up another question, and he couldn't help asking, "So…why aren't you afraid of that anymore? Do you think nothing's gonna happen to me?" With a teasing grin, he added, "Or do you just not care anymore?"

The silver monkey chuckled softly as he turned back to the boy. "No, it's not that. And it's not that I'm no longer afraid of it; I will always continue to hold on to that fear. It's…simply not as strong as it used to be."

"How come?"

Antauri smiled. "Because I have seen how much you've grown…how much you've matured. I know how much stronger you've become since we first met, and how you will continue to develop. While I will always fear for you, it is not as strong as it once was because you do not need me to worry over you. Eventually, there will come a time when you will no longer need me at all."

The teen's eyes widened. "Antauri…!"

"It's all right, Chiro," the robotic simian assured. "That simply means that I've done what I'm supposed to do. The time when you no longer need me will mean that you are ready to face the world on your own. I will always be there for you…but you just will no longer require my assistance."

Chiro frowned deeply, shaking his head to himself. He couldn't believe that Antauri…of all people…was saying these things. Didn't he know better? After everything that happened…after what took place in the Savage Lands…how could Antauri think that?

He didn't get a chance to say anything, though, as the other descended and touched his feet to the floor. "It's late now," the silver monkey said softly, "and it was a difficult evening. It's best that we both get some rest."

The teen hesitated for a moment, looking ready to protest. But instead he nodded and rose to his feet. "Night, Antauri," he said softly.

"Good night, Chiro," the simian replied as the boy turned and headed out.

He had forced himself all the way to the door when he abruptly stopped. He stood as it slid open, resting one hand on the door frame. He just _couldn't_ let this go. "You're wrong, y'know…"

Antauri, who was just about to enter his sleeping pod, turned to look at the teen in surprise. "What?"

"You're wrong," the young leader repeated. "Maybe…I _am_ growing up, and maybe I _am_ maturing. Maybe I _am_ getting stronger. But no matter what happens…even if I finally learn to fully master the Power Primate…in some way or another, I'm _always_ gonna need you in my life."

The silver monkey blinked, facing the other completely. "Chiro…" he whispered.

Glancing over his shoulder, Chiro smiled. "Always…" he affirmed. Then he was gone.

**The End**


End file.
